Hello Stranger

{2}

"But- what di- I can work less, is it something I said? I can come in earlier! Please! This is all I have!" I begged in shock.

Not routine. Not routine. My mind raced, no job equals no money. No money equals no apartment.

"Enough!" She snapped. She sighed and then her voice became the slightest bit softer, but her expression stayed stony with furrowed brows. "Business isn't the same anymore Ann. Im sorry" ill mail your check, don't come in tomorrow. You're done."

No more routine. Walking out of the store, with my purse and my coat in hand I shuffled numbly down the streets with mascara paving the way for tears down my cheeks. My coat was off because I was numb to the cold by now. My mind raced with all of the possibilities of my future; homeless, starving, alone, thirsty, cold, alone, scared, over, alone.

I sucked in a deep breath and looked around at where I was. Right next to a pub. Perfect. I took a step towards the blacked out door and then paused, I need to save my money, not drink it away. I began to turn around but stopped myself again. One drink won't hurt, I deserve it, I was just laid off. I shrugged my shoulders as if to shake away my troubles and walked into the pub.

Loud. Smelly. The sound of drunk laughter and the pungent smell of alcohol penetrated my ears and nose as I made my way to the bar. I sat on a stool and flagged down the barista. "Something strong but not too strong" I said to him as I laid down the last ten dollar bill in my wallet.

"ID first please." The barista said in a bored tone.

"I just got fired and I am about to be kicked out of my apartment, is that ID enough for you?" I replied sarcastically.

"Nope, sorry missy, but even if you had just survived an alien invasion, I still wouldn't give you a drink." He replied back sassily. "Go home, there are more jobs out there" he said with a gentler voice as he slid my 10 dollar bill back to me.
I ducked my head in shame as I slid off of the stool and walked right back out into the now 20 degree weather. I walked around the corner of the building and kicked a trash can letting out a loud sob.

"What wrong girly?" a low voice asked from a few feet away.

I turned towards the voice in surprise as I slowly backed out of the narrow alley. "Nothing, I don't want any trouble either, so leave me be." I said with a shaky voice.

"I can make you feel better sweetheart." The voice said, and a bony hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me into the alleyway.

I screamed a scream of pure terror and struggled against the grip. "No! No! Leave me alone! Help!" I sobbed and yelled but a hand clamped over my mouth.

"Now now, that's no way to treat a lover." The guy said as he slid a hand up my shirt and grabbed my breast roughly. "I am going to make you feel so good" he moaned as he began to push my shorts down.

I kicked at him with all my might and sobbed into his filthy hand over my mouth. I almost cried of happiness when I landed a solid blow to his nether region and he let go of me. I sprinted out of the alley with my shorts falling down and my shirt torn up to my bra which had been partially unclasped. Just as I was rounding the corner I knocked into someone and I didn't even have time to apologize before I hear my almost-rapist shouting after me. "Come back here, I wasn't done with you." He shouted roughly as he came around the corner. I turned to run again when the someone that I had knocked into pulled me behind their back and shielded me from the disgusting man.

"What's going on here?" the voice in front of me asked. I know that voice, the words tangling together in my mind. It couldn't be. I must be in shock still, or hysterical.

"My girl is drunk and decided to run away, come on girly, let's go home." He said with a sickly sweet voice as he tried to find me behind the person in front of me.

"Fine, if you can tell me her name, then she can go with you." His voice was so confident as he spoke.

Wait, he doesn't know me or my name, hell believe whatever this rapist says. "No ple-"I began but I was cut off by the disgusting man speaking.

"Fine, her name is Kate." He said before reaching for me. "Come on, Kate, let's go now" he spat out the word Kate as he tried to grab my arm again.

But this time he did not touch me, and I didn't even have the chance to argue when the stranger spoke again. "Fuck off you pervert, that's not her name, now scram before I call the God damned police on you for rape and assault." he yelled with authority as he gently nudged me away from the man and further behind his back.

Fright passed over the man's features before he scoffed and sprinted off, probably to another alley. Relief flooded my veins as I collapsed onto my knees on the sidewalk and sobbed once again.

"Did he hurt you?" the strangers voice came gentle and smooth.

I shook my head "No" but my tears obviously said otherwise. I hear a slight shuffling noise before a coat was draped around my shoulders and the stranger knelt in front of me.

"Ryan, right? It's Harry, from this morning. You may not remember me but I was the one who—" I cut him off.
"Harry." I said. I looked up. It was him. His eyes were scared and full of worry. His lips were tight with anger and pity. His nostrils were flared. In that moment, I was so overcome by emotion that I simply stood up and yanked him with me and then smashed him into an embrace and cried into his chest.

"It's okay. You're safe. It's okay" he soothed after getting over the initial shock of having a girl he didn't really know hug him and cry onto him.

After a few more minutes of comforting words and rubs on my back, I stepped away from him "Thank you for saving me Harry, I—I don't know what would've happened if—"I stopped myself. "Thank you, and sorry for ruining your shirt, and your night, and for—"this time he cut me off by cupping my cheeks to make me look at him.

"You're welcome. And don't apologize, you have nothing to apologize for." He stated with the smallest of grins.

Those teeth. I know those teeth.

"Um, so this is going to be a strange question after everything that has just happened, but um... do you want to come to my apartment to warm up and calm down, its right around the corner, and I completely understand if you don't, but I thought tha—" he began rambling.

Even though my mind was screaming "NO!", an overwhelming sense of trust caused me to blurt out a quick and shy "Ok."

He let out a sigh of relief and wrapped an arm around my waist to support me as we walked a few blocks in silence to an apartment complex where upon he held the door open for me and then proceeded to shield me from prying eyes as we walked through the not-very-empty lobby towards the elevator.

As soon as he pushed the button for the top floor, he mumbled out a small curse. "Um, I had a friend come over and I was heading to the store to get some beer for us, but I kind of forgot he was there, I can ask him to leave...he won't mind I'm sure." He muttered to me looking down.

"Oh no, I—I couldn't ask that of either of you Harry, I'll be fine, but if he doesn't want me there than—"his laugh cut me off. At the same time the elevator dinged, signaling we had reached his floor, and he led me out and down the hallway.
"He won't mind you at all Ryan, I promise." He said looking deeply into my eyes.

My body was telling me to turn tail and run, but for some reason I just couldn't. Maybe it was because with his arm draped around my waist, I felt safe, I felt warm. And maybe, I just wanted to feel that for a little longer.